Are there any significant differences between the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th generations of Intel Processors?

[hrdwre]

Hello.

I need to buy a new laptop. I'd like to go for a somewhat older one because I like the form factor of the older laptops, particularly the separate "clicky" mouse buttons on the touchpad and the extra pointing device built into the keyboard (sorry I cant remember the name of it but it commonly is red and is about the size of a pencil eraser).

So, is there any significant difference between, for example a 1st gen i7 and a 5th gen i7?

While I'm at it, may I ask if there are any other significant differences between those 2-4 year old laptops and the latest models?

I should also note that I do use virtualization software, primarily VBox and heard somewhere about new virtualization capabilities of some of the intel processors.

Thanks very much for reading!

 

[TechyInAZ]

1st gen is old old and very slow, definantly don't go with that.

2nd 3rd 4th and 5th gen will be pretty quick, though i'd get a 4th or 5th gen since they are the fastest right now. It will make a difference in VMs.

 

[velo3100]

I am not an expert on vm but I know that the main difference between the different generations is the amount of energy it uses. As you go up the generations, they generally use the energy more efficiently, which results in good performance. Another thing is performance but intel has a tick, tock method. What this means is that if you go from first to second gen, you will generally not notice it. But if you go from first to 3rd you will notice a big jump. I would say that the 4th gen are the best for power users and 5th gen for people that need something with a long battery life.

 

[jaguarskx]

On average based on a history of a mix of benchmarks the average increase in performance is as follows assuming the same # of cores, clockspeed.

1st gen -> 2nd gen = 12%
2nd gen -> 3rd gen = 6%
3rd gen -> 4th gen = 6%
4th gen -> 5th gen = 4%

Soo....

A 5th generation Core i7 @ 2.5GHz is roughly equivalent to a 1st Core i7 @ 3.27GHz. Or roughly a 31% increase in performance.